


A Legend

by ashangel101010



Category: Chaotic (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Vicious Pegasus is Kaz's musical alter ego, lots of singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-06-10 07:38:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6946003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashangel101010/pseuds/ashangel101010
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set after season three. Kaz is surprised by how just doing his hair differently, using his contacts, and wearing a dead man's clothes could render him unrecognizable to both Creatures and players alike. For seven nights, his new identity flourishes before being ceremoniously killed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

A Legend Prologue

*

Suggested Theme:

Main Theme-Wind by Toshiro Masuda

*

            Kaz is not at all amused. He is spending his Sunday night cleaning his house thanks to Tom’s filthy cousins. Kaz has babysat for Tom before, mostly because Tom hates kids and he gives sixty percent of his babysitting money to Kaz for doing his job, and the last time he did it was when the cousins were just three-years-old. Back then, the worst that the cousins did was tear up some newspapers and drew pretty decent-looking scribbles on the walls. Now, at five-years-old, the cousins appeared to have an undying fascination with dirt and chocolate sauce. Kaz went to the bathroom for five minutes and came out to see the speed demons spraying chocolate sauce on the living room walls and rubbing planter dirt onto the sofa.

When Tom came to pick up his demented cousins about two hours later, Kaz showed him the ruined living room and was able to get eighty percent of the babysitting money. The extra money didn’t exactly assuage Kaz’s anger, but the cash will allow him to buy a videogame that he’s been hankering for. However, the cash is definitely not going to get the chocolate stains out of the lime-green walls or scrub the damp soil from the sofa.

It takes him nearly three hours of scrubbing before the stains have become nonexistent. His feeble arms are aching and his clothes are caked in sweat, dirt, and sticky, chocolate sauce. He takes off his glasses and strips out of his clothes to take a quick shower. As he showers, he can feel slight burning sensations across his scalp and back as the last of his hair gel is finally rinsed out. Most of his hair gel was sweated out during his arduous cleaning.

He steps out of the shower and grabs a towel to dry himself off, but accidently knocks his glasses to the floor. The glasses skitter to the foggy, full-length mirror by the door. He doesn’t pick up his glasses right away; he wipes the fogginess from the mirror with the towel. He is stunned by what he sees.

His pumpkin-colored hair swirls about his shoulders like canopy curtains. He sees saffron-yellow streaks making up some of his bangs; at first glance, a stranger would’ve believed that those were highlights. His face is not harmonic combination of his dad and mom. Instead, his mom’s rounder features soften the diamond angularity of his dad’s features. His face is like a slightly unsymmetrical heart. His russet-brown eyes are big like they belonged to a fantasy creature. Perhaps his dad was right about the fairy blood running in his veins……..

He does not pick up his glasses; instead, he goes to his bedroom to put on some clothes. He is about to go to his closest to get his usual attire: an explorer’s vest, an oversized green shirt, lime-green cargo pants, and hiker boots. However, he decides to go to his dresser and open the drawer closest to the floor. In the drawer, his dad’s clothes are clean and meticulously folded, and they should be since they haven’t been worn since his dad’s death. And a little before then, but Kaz doesn’t wish to open his scars tonight.

His dad was fairly muscular as he should be from his time chiseling away at stone for his art, but Kaz is confident that he can find something that will fit him. He rummages through and finds some clothes along with the last bottle of his dad’s homemade cologne (always smelled funny like burning pennies and sulfur). He puts on his dad’s periwinkle drainpipe trousers (the 80s version of skinny jeans), his dad’s long-sleeved, forest-green jumper (he can hear his dad’s Irish lilt in the word), and his dad’s black drape jacket. He goes to his closest and pulls out a pair of boots he swore that he would wear once he got his motorcycle license. The boots are black, a hundred percent leather biker boots that almost goes up to his knees.

He goes back to the bathroom to admire his new look in the full-length mirror. Once again, he is stunned by what he sees. He does not see his quirkily dorky self. Or even the pale imitation of his dad. He sees someone that could be a singer in some underground, melancholic band. He sees someone that could ride a Pegasus through the starry sky. He sees someone that could be silently vicious to others. He sees someone that he could never hope to be in his life.

He is Kazdan “Kaz” Kalinkas. He is just a seventeen-year-old only a few weeks away from starting his senior year. He is just the Chaotic-crazy kid who happens to excel in Science and History but is average in English. He is the Chaor worshipper and the UnderWorld fanboy who gets to have adventures in Perim. He is Tom’s best friend.

Yet, this person in the mirror. This mystical illusion is not Kaz. This person can be anything he wants to be. This person could open his mouth…….but sound like Kaz. No, this person has no use for talking. This person can only sing; something that Kaz would never do in public. This person will sing across Perim and etch his songs into the alien world. This person only comes out during the deep recesses of the night. This person will make the Creatures and players whisper about his purpose in life. And the only definitive answer that he can give them is his name:

Vicious Pegasus.

*


	2. Night One: Elliot

A Legend Chapter One

*

Suggested Theme:

Main Theme- Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones

*

            Elliot is having the hardest time walking, but he’s also in the best of moods. He had spent almost twelve hours crammed inside a crate in order to get a quality scan of the new Telebracers that Bodal has been working on. His legs, knees, elbows, and well his whole body is sore from being trapped in that small space for so long, but he got his scan and slipped out of the place like a Mipedian Stalker.

He is walking around Kiru City to work out some of the soreness in his limbs. He isn’t ready to port back to Earth; he wants to test out the Battlegear before showing it off to some potential clients at the Port Court. However, right now, he’ll just enjoy the stroll of Kiru City at night. He isn’t exactly fond of nature, but he does like how the city seems to be teeming with stars. It sort of reminds him of—

_“Please allow me to introduce myself,_

_I'm a man of wealth and taste._

_I've been around for a long, long year,_

_Stole many a man's soul to waste.”_

Eliot could hear singing. Singing that sounds like it’s coming from the Ancestor Wall. He smirks; a player must’ve lost a bet and had to sing until the guards start to fire at him. He isn’t going to pass up this opportunity to record some poor sap’s humiliation; he’ll share it with his other clients to get a good laugh out of them and maybe put them in the mood for a trade.

_“And I was 'round when Jesus Christ_

_Had his moment of doubt and pain._

_Made damn sure that Pilate_

_Washed his hands and sealed his fate.”_

He is walking as silently as he could to the Ancestor Wall, to the player who was obviously singing. He has his Scanner already recording; granted he missed the first stanza, but he can catch the rest of song. Or at least until the guards finally take notice of the singer and shoot at him. The singing voice is definitely a guy because the singing sounds too deep to be a girl’s.

_“Pleased to meet you,_

_Hope you guess my name._

_But what's puzzling you_

_Is the nature of my game.”_

Elliot finally reaches the Ancestor Wall and sees the singer. Well, he can see the back of the singer. The singer has reddish-orange hair like a penny and is wearing some skinny jeans and black “jacket” over his green sweater. Shockingly, the singer is etching something into the wall with a metallic stylus. Elliot is recording the singer vandalizing the wall; oh boy, he never thought a player would be dumb enough to write on the wall like a bathroom stall in school!

_“I stuck around St. Petersburg_

_When I saw it was a time for a change._

_Killed the czar and his ministers_

_Anastasia screamed in vain._

_I rode a tank,_

_Held a general's rank_

_When the blitzkrieg raged_

_And the bodies stank._

_Pleased to meet you,_

_Hope you guess my name, oh yeah_

_Ah, what's puzzling you_

_Is the nature of my game, oh yeah._

_(Woo woo, woo woo)”_

Holy shit, this player is lucky that the guards haven’t found him yet. The player isn’t even trying to be quiet. He’s singing with the same passion as Mick Jagger and wickedly like he embodies the lyrics wholeheartedly. Even if the chorus part sort of throws off the rhythm of the singer.

_“I watched with glee,_

_While your kings and queens_

_Fought for ten decades_

_For the gods they made._

_(Woo woo, woo woo)_

_I shouted out,_

_‘Who killed the Kennedys?’_

_When after all,_

_It was you and me._

_(Who who, who who)_

_Let me please introduce myself,_

_I'm a man of wealth and taste_

_And I laid traps for troubadours_

_Who get killed before they reached Bombay._

_(Woo woo, who who)_

_Pleased to meet you_

_Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah_

_(Who who)_

_But what's puzzling you_

_Is the nature of my game, oh yeah, get down, baby._

_(Who who, who who)”_

The singer is still scrawling across the wall with the same speed that he sings the lyrics. Honestly, Elliot is impress that the player hasn’t even once paused in his writing. The player’s hand must be cramping something fierce by now. He wonders what the player is writing on the wall…

_“Pleased to meet you,_

_Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah_

_But what's confusing you_

_Is just the nature of my game._

_(Woo woo, who who)_

_Just as every cop is a criminal_

_And all the sinners saints,_

_As heads is tails,_

_Just call me Lucifer_

_'Cause I'm in need of some restraint._

_(Who who, who who)_

_So if you meet me,_

_Have some courtesy,_

_Have some sympathy, and some taste._

_(Woo woo)_

_Use all your well-learned politesse_

_Or I'll lay your soul to waste, mm yeah._

_(Woo woo, woo woo)”_

Even without the instruments and awesome guitar solo, the song sounds fantastically sung. Like nature, Elliot isn’t really knowledgeable or fond of music, but he can certainly appreciate the possibly unhinged player’s singing chops. The player sounds like a cross between a grunge singer and David Bowie, which is actually the greatest compliment that Elliot can give, at least musically.

_“Pleased to meet you,_

_Hope you guessed my name, mm yeah,_

_(Who who)_

_But what's puzzling you_

_Is the nature of my game, mm mean it, get down._

_(Woo woo, woo woo)_

_Woo, who_

_Oh yeah, get on down._

_Oh yeah,_

_Oh yeah!_

_(Woo woo)”_

Then, Elliot hears the rasp in the player’s voice, a telltale sign of fatigue. Considering this song lasts about seven minutes, it’s not exactly shocking for the player’s voice to finally give out. And maybe the player’s luck is running out to because Elliot is certain that a patrol squad is coming around the corner.

_“Tell me baby, what's my name?_

_Tell me honey, can ya guess my name?_

_Tell me baby, what's my name?_

_I tell you one time, you're to blame!_

_Oh, who_

_Woo, woo_

_Woo, who_

_Woo, woo_

_Woo, who, who_

_Woo, who, who_

_Oh, yeah.”_

The sound of carefully-timed and practiced footfalls act like a wailing siren to Elliot that the patrol is coming. He ducks behind the counter of an empty vendor’s booth. He still has his Scanner up and recording the mysterious player.

_“What's my name?_

_Tell me, baby, what's my name?_

_Tell me, sweetie, what's my name?_

_Woo, who, who_

_Woo, who, who_

_Woo, who, who_

_Woo, who, who_

_Woo, who, who_

_Woo, who, who_

_Oh, yeah_

_Woo, woo_

_Woo, woo”_

The player’s song ends right at the patrol finds him. From what he can tell from his Scanner, the player bolts and the guards chase after him. Then, there’s a whirling sound, which means that the player ported out. Elliot doesn’t hear the guards return to the vandalized spot on the Ancestor Wall; they must be new grunts for not having enough sense to realize that the player is gone.

He comes out of his hiding place and goes to the miniscule portion of the wall that the player vandalized. What the player wrote, no, **_carved_** into the wall is lyrics to the song he was singing. Under the lyrics is a message in thick letters:

**_Night One- Vicious Pegasus_ **

Elliot has never even heard of player with the name “Vicious Pegasus” or even a username resembling the name. It’s possible this Vicious Pegasus just got his code recently and hasn’t made any friends; Elliot doesn’t have any friends, just clients. But why would this player just carve song lyrics into the Ancestor Wall? What’s the purpose? Was this a publicity stunt to make himself famous? Most likely, but that doesn’t mean Elliot can’t make a profit from this too. He scans the wall, which basically is a new scan of Kiru City. He’ll go to the Dromes and test out this scan along with the new Battlegear. After all, he wants to make sure that Vicious Pegasus actually left his mark on the Location before releasing the video of the player singing to all of his clients. He is, after all, the player with the most legit, quality scans in all of Chaotic!

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Comments- Elliot is not an OC; he actually appeared in season one in an episode called, “Out in the Cold” where Tom pretty much has to challenge this guy to get tips on this Location so he can guide Kaz safely through. At first, I thought Elliot was one of those geeky douches, but on another viewing I can’t really blame the guy for his business practices. He knows that when you die in Chaotic, then your Chaotic self is the one to perish and not your “real” self. So it takes Sarah pretty much threatening this guy’s reputation to make him fight Tom with the desired Location. 
> 
> My purpose wasn’t to make him developed, or deep, or even likeable. He was pretty much the springboard for Vicious Pegasus to be introduced to Chaotic players. And Elliot seems like the kind of person to try and profit from the mysterious actions of this player; it’s just business to him with some pleasure at listening to a good cover and getting a quality scan. 
> 
> Also, I chose “Sympathy for the Devil” by The Rolling Stones because it’s like a perfect introduction. And since this is Vicious Pegasus’s introduction to Perim and Chaotic, what better song to sue than this. Plus, it seems like something Vicious Pegasus would sing without restraint.


	3. Night Two: Skithia

A Legend Chapter Two

**

Suggested Theme:

Main Theme- Wilder Wein by Rammstein

**

            Gothos Tower is no longer a home to anyone. Since the demise of Lord Van Bloot, it’s only being used as place to sleep for Skithia. She is patrolling the grounds to make sure that pesky humans aren’t breaking into the place for some stupid scans. Also, she wants to make sure none of Takinom’s spies have left “devices”. She can’t let the princess of the UnderWorld discover any valuable information that Van Bloot may have left behind if only to spite the piss-colored demoness.

Even when Van Bloot was alive, this tower has never been home to her. It’s just another place with a roof, some food, and a person to work for. She can’t have a home anymore. Her home was gone when his song ended……

_“Wild wine - before your castle._

_Wild wine - I am ready._

_Arrival is announced - only for the king._

_God, stand by me - and open your gates.”_

Skithia’s bruised heart seizes in an instance. Someone is here. Someone is in the dining room. Someone is singing. Someone is singing like……. ** _him_**. Could it be that his ghost has come back to haunt her? No, it’s foolish for **_him_** to appear before her this late in her life. It’s probably some thief who has made himself comfortable in the dining room. She quietly stalks to the room like a ghost in the mist.

_“Wild wine - and totally slow._

_Wild wine - so warm and moist.”_

She’ll burn this thief alive with her blue flames. After his song has ended. She wants to hear the rest of his song. The song sounds lustful, dark, and ancient; a song that only **_he_** could sing. She aches as he sings.

_“Wild wine - before your lap._

_Wild wine - it has been written._

_Deep in the water - you don't cross._

_But my desire - laughs at the wings.”_

The dining room is duly lit by the dying torches. The table where feasts and fights have taken place at is covered in a thick layer of dust. Skithia never eats here, so she never saw the purpose of cleaning a room that she has no use for. She sees the silhouette of the thief writing on a pillar. She creeps closer to get a better look at the vandalizing thief.

_“Wild wine - like a dove._

_Wild wine - so wet and hot.”_

Her eyes widen like she witnessed Van Bloot’s death again. The thief is actually a human with hair as orange and limp as a dying fire. The human is wearing some sort of black cloak over a green tunic with pale blue pants and knee-high boots. The human is writing on the pillar as he sings. He sings so beautifully…….so alive.

_“Wild wine - before this darkness._

_Wild wine - healed by the light._

_It stays hidden - otherwise we could defend ourselves._

_I wait for you - at the end of the night.”_

She never knew that a human could compose lyric poetry. She never knew a human could sing it so beautifully. He’s like darkness singing. He’s like musical purity. He’s like a true troubadour. There hasn’t been a troubadour in the UnderWorld since his song ended….

_“Wild wine - only a grape._

_Wild wine - and bitter like snow.”_

She creeps to him like spider on her way to eat a lunar moth caught in her web. Humans are so fragile and weak; they cannot defend themselves like strong Creatures can. She is so close to this human that she could snap his neck like a glass kazoo. The human is unaware of her deathly presence.

_“I wait for you - at the end of the night.”_

As he rasps the last words of his song, he **_carves_** the last line of his message. He turns around and faces Skithia. He does not scream. He does not plead for his life. His rust-colored eyes gaze into her blue fire eyes like she had a soul. Like she wasn’t an outcast. Like she wasn’t of ill-repute birth. Like she could feel love. Like how **_he_** used to look at her.

And she covers her eyes with her cold hands. She can feel her tears wetting her hands. She does not let out a sob. She does not make any noise. But she trembles like she was a child again. Like when his song ended……

Then, she hears a whirling sound and looks up to see that the human has disappeared. She is almost glad; she can let her bruised heart weep one last time. She goes to the pillar where the human was carving and sees the lyric poetry inscribed in stone. But under the poetry is a message in thick letters:

**_Night Two- Vicious Pegasus_ **

She touches his name with her damp hand. A leftover tear stains the name like a silent prayer.

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Comments- Skithia is a character that I have always wanted to write about. In fact, I have a one-shot in the works detailing an event in her past that I would like to believe happened. I don’t think she’s ever utter a word in the show, which just adds to her mystique for me. There’s not much known about her except that she hates Takinom and Intress, so that leaves plenty of room to pretty much tailor her to my whims. And, boy, did I tailor her! Her captivation with Vicious Pegasus largely has to do with her past and a certain “he” that sung pretty much like Vicious Pegasus. She gets the honor of being the first Creature to hear Vicious Pegasus sing, but she won’t be the last. 
> 
> I know the song is actually in German, but I don’t think Kaz/Vicious knows a lick about other languages other than English and maybe a few words in Gaelic. I decided to use the English lyrics because they seem like something a bard would actually recite in the medieval era. The UnderWorld is like the cross of medieval Europe and Hell, so I figured this song would be most appropriate.


	4. Night Three: Peyton

A Legend Chapter Three

***

Suggested Theme:

Main Theme- In Our Bedroom After the War by Stars

***

            Hunter’s Perimeter is really beautiful at night, not eerie like it is during the day. It’s been almost a year since Peyton was last here. He had meant to come back and scan the top of the watchtower again after Sarah was rescued, but the M’Arillion Invasion and the Lost City pretty much distracted him. This time he is on his own for this scan; he doesn’t want to endanger anyone for a scan like the last time.

Sand glides around the watchtower like lazy comets around a yellow moon. He goes inside the watchtower and nearly slaps himself. He totally forgot about the rickety, wooden steps are gone now. Oh man, how is he going to make it to the top now?

_“Wake up, say good morning to_

_That sleepy person lying next to you._

_If there’s no one there,_

_Then there’s no one there._

_But at least,_

_The war is over.”_

He hears singing and looks up. On the creaky, wooden floor of the top, there is some guy singing up there. He sees the guy’s shadow move. Maybe the guy was dancing or something? But how did he get up there?

_“It’s us._

_Yes, we’re back again._

_Here to see you through_

_Till the days end._

_And if the night comes,_

_And the night will come._

_Well at least,_

_The war is over._

_Lift your head_

_And look out the window._

_Stay that way for the rest of the day_

_And watch the time go.”_

The guy could have a scan of the top of the watchtower and that’s how he got there. But Peyton decides to go outside anyways and search around the watchtower. On the northern, darkest section of the tower, he finds a piece of rope leading to the top of the tower like Rapunzel’s hair. Does he really want to climb to the top like a storybook prince?

_“Listen, the birds sing._

_Listen, the bells ring._

_All the living are dead_

_And the dead are all living._

_The war is over,_

_And we are beginning.”_

Of course, he will. He’s done some rock-climbing back on Earth, so he’s pretty sure that he can do this. He grabs onto the rope and begins his ascent. He wants to reach the top to get his scan and to thank this mysterious guy for giving him a way up here. And for the music. The guy sounds amazing like he’s sincerely happy and free.

_“Gridlock on the parkway now,_

_The television man is here to show you how._

_The channel fades to snow._

_It’s off to work you go._

_But at least,_

_The war is over.”_

Peyton isn’t familiar with the song, but he likes the lyrics. The song sort of reminds him of the Mipedian Desert. There appears to be no rhyme or reason for anything; you’re just supposed to enjoy it. And who couldn’t enjoy a happy song being sung wonderfully on such a gorgeous night?

_“She’s gone._

_She left before you woke._

_As you ate last night,_

_Neither of you spoke._

_Dishes, TV, bed,_

_The darkness filled with dread._

_But at least,_

_The war is over._

_Lift your head_

_And look out the window._

_Stay that way for the rest of the day_

_And watch the time go.”_

Peyton also wonders if the guy is just singing because he wants to. He can faintly recall of some rumors about a mysterious player that is singing in random Locations and leaving behind his songs in the Locations. Maybe this guy is the mysterious player? What was the player’s name again?

_“Listen, the birds sing._

_Listen, the bells ring._

_All the living are dead_

_And the dead are all living._

_The war is over,_

_And we are beginning.”_

Peyton will just the guy his name. Maybe he’ll get a reason to why the guy is doing all this. Or maybe he’ll join along with this guy in a new song. Maybe make a new friend tonight.

_“We won,_

_Or we think we did._

_When you went away,_

_You were just a kid._

_And if you lost it all,_

_And you lost it._

_We will still be there_

_When the war is over._

_Lift your head_

_And look out the window._

_Stay that way for the rest of the day_

_And watch the time go.”_

Peyton is halfway there and hasn’t even once made the mistake of looking down. He doesn’t know how long the song is, but he hopes the guy isn’t done yet. He really would like to chat with this guy. Maybe this guy is into Eddie X. Man, he has an excellent story to tell the singing guy about Eddie X.

_“Listen, the birds sing._

_Listen the bells ring._

_All the living are dead_

_And the dead are all living._

_The war is over,_

_And we are beginning.”_

Peyton’s arms are feeling weak now, but he’s so close. He knows he’s going to make it, but he doesn’t know how long the guy will stick around. Man, it’ll suck if he doesn’t at least get the guy’s name!

_“Here it comes,_

_Here comes the first day._

_Here it comes,_

_Here comes the first day._

_It starts up in our bedroom_

_After the war._

_It starts up in our bedroom_

_After war.”_

Crap, it sounds like the guy is wrapping up his song. Peyton tries to speed up, but almost like the watchtower’s stairs, he almost loses his grip. He can’t hurry with this after all.

_“After the war._

_After the war._

_After the war._

_After the war._

_After the war._

_After the war._

_After the war…..”_

The guy’s voice becomes softer and softer until the song finally dies out. Peyton is only three good tugs away from the top. Then, he hears the telltale signs of the guy porting out. He hauls himself up there and is disappointed to see that the guy is really gone. He sighs, but at least he gets his scan. He takes out his Scanner and scans the Location. He nearly drops his Scanner when he sees that the guy carved into the pointy monolith.

After his scan is complete, he gets closer and sees the guy has carved the lyrics of his song into the tower. And right under the lyrics is a message in thick letters:

**_Night Three- Vicious Pegasus_ **

Well at least, Peyton got the guy’s name. He then takes a picture of the monolith. He cannot wait to tell Sarah, Tom, and Kaz about this. And maybe he’ll tell some other people too. Who can keep something this amazing to himself?

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Comments- I got the lyrics from a video called, “Gravity Falls After The War” by dotdot3polkadots on YouTube. Also, Eddie X is actually another character from the show during season two in an episode called, “Rockwave and Roll”. I chose this song because it sounds soothing and hopeful; something that is right up Peyton’s alley. Since Kaz’s “goal” is for his alter ego to get famous, then Peyton is definitely going to help. Elliot may have a lot of clients, but Peyton practically knows almost everyone. I always thought he was the blabbermouth during the “Threshold of Destruction” episode; although, it was probably more SamShady’s and Kaz’s fault. 
> 
> I find it funny how these characters view Vicious Pegasus. Elliot views him as a profitable source. Skithia views him like a precious spirit from her past. And Peyton just wants to be friends with him. But then again, Peyton isn’t as self-centered as the previous characters. Well, at least in this instance.


	5. Night Four: Sarah

A Legend Chapter Four

****

Suggested Theme:

Main Theme- Touch by Daft Punk feat. Paul Williams

****

            The PortCourt has become so noisy lately. All that anyone is talking about is some singing player that is carving song lyrics into the Locations. It’s not like those Locations gained any special effects from the carvings; it’s been tested by multiple players who traded with Elliot and even by Peyton with his scan of the watchtower from Hunter’s Perimeter. And then there’s the video that Elliot captured of the guy singing. Granted, the guy knows how to vocally emote and can carry a tune, but Sarah just wasn’t into the song. She’s more into Daft Punk than The Rolling Stones. It’s why she didn’t enjoy the Eddie X concert that much.

To get away from the suffocating gossip, Sarah is on a scan quest for a scan of Jade Pillar. She originally invited the guys to come with her, but they were preoccupied with the rumors and matches. Well, at least Tom was cynical about the singing player. To him, the guy was just singing because he wanted attention. Sarah firmly agrees with him.

Jade Pillar is inhabited by Danians and is one of the prettiest Locations that Sarah has ever seen. But then again, she pretty much finds beauty in anything Danian or insect-like. Jade Pillar is glowing like the light of a perpetual firefly. There are some wooden shacks and huts around the pillar, along with sturdy-looking scaffolding on the Jade Pillar. Wamma once told her that artisans like coming to the pillar to sculpt their art into it. She gets a scan of the Location and then decides to go up on the scaffolding to check out the artwork.

_“Touch, I remember touch._

_Pictures came with touch._

_A painter in my mind,_

_Tell me what you see.”_

A chill goes through Sarah like she was suddenly transported to Glacier Plains. She knows this song; it’s Daft Punk’s _“Touch”_. She would know this song anywhere because she must’ve at least a thousand times. And she also recognized the singer; the singing voice belonged to none other than the fabled Vicious Pegasus.

_“A tourist in a dream,_

_A visitor it seems,_

_A half-forgotten song,_

_Where do I belong?_

_Tell me what you see._

_I need something more.”_

Sarah isn’t going to be like Elliot or Peyton and try to see the guy; she’s just here for the artwork. She climbs up a ladder and begins her languid walk up the scaffolding. She has a feeling that the guy is at the very top since his voice sounded far away. There’s no way she’ll make it to the top in time to see him, and she doesn’t plan to. She’s just here for the art.

_“Kiss, suddenly alive._

_Happiness arrive._

_Hunger like a storm._

_How do I begin?”_

The first sculpture she comes across is a miniature bust of an ancient Danian Queen. She’s certain it’s not the former Queen Illexia because the eyes are too much like a fly’s. It’s like looking at two, small disco balls made of jade. Although, this Danian Queen has unique mandibles; there are little runes etched into it like some Mugic.

_“A room within a room._

_A door behind a door._

_Touch, where do you lead?_

_I need something more._

_Tell me what you see._

_I need something more.”_

The next notable sculpture takes about ten steps to get to. This sculpture looks like a model of the Nest of the Ancestors when it wasn’t so ancient. There are hollow, skyscraper-like buildings that twist like rubber pencils. It’s like L.A. rendered into a hive format.

_“Home…..”_

Then, nearly thirty steps of a jade tapestry catch her malachite eyes. The tapestry is of some famous battle between the Danians and the Mipedians. Some of the Mipedians are in mid-transformation of being Danians themselves, but she doesn’t see any of the Danians holding Parasite Projectors. Maybe there was another way to infect Creatures without the use of the Battlegear?

_“Hold on._

_If love is the answer, you're home._

_Hold on._

_If love is the answer, you're home._

_Hold on._

_If love is the answer, you're home._

_Hold on._

_If love is the answer, you're home._

_Hold on._

_If love is the answer, you're home._

_Hold on._

_If love is the answer, you're home._

_Hold on._

_If love is the answer, you're home._

_Hold on._

_If love is the answer, you're home.”_

Fifty steps take her through a whirlwind of busts, action-like figures, and more models of an evolving Danian culture. Most of the busts have evolved into a class system where Mandiblors become less frequent as Sarah goes forward; it’s probably at this point in time when the Mandiblors are being looked down as the lower caste. It doesn’t sadden her because this is what happened on Earth. It just cements another similarity between the species.

_“Touch, sweet touch,_

_You've given me too much to feel._

_Sweet touch,_

_You've almost convinced me I'm real.”_

The art is starting to blend together now. Again, this is what happens with every civilization; it goes stagnant and nothing of note is really produced. At least for a while. Usually, it takes a great change in society for something new to occur. But then again, it’s usually not for the better.

_“I need something more._

_I need something...”_

But there is a new Danian Queen. Illexia ceded her throne to Aszil, the Young Queen. Sarah has yet to get scan of her, but she’s seen pictures of her. Well, pictures of her card. She looks like a humanoid version of a black widow, which gives her a very intimidating appearance to many. But not to Sarah. No, Queen Aszil’s malefic demeanor just makes Sarah want to know more about her.

_“More.”_

She hears the whirling of code and knows that Vicious Pegasus is finally gone. He sounds better to her now if only because he picked a song that she actually liked. Granted, he was no Paul Williams, but his performance was admirable. She reaches the top and doesn’t bother to skim through the lyrics. Instead, she goes straight to the bottom. In thick letters, the message is what Sarah expected:

**_Night Four- Vicious Pegasus_ **

“Highly methodical, isn’t he?” Sarah comments before porting out.

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Comments- Originally, I was going to have Sarah confront Vicious Pegasus and pretty much interrogate him, and he would’ve ignored her because it’s part of his fabricated personality. The reason for that is because I noticed that Sarah is the most aggressive out of the group. Granted, she gets in less trouble than the guys. However, I discarded it because I also remembered that Sarah is skeptical and doesn’t like to make a big deal of things most of the time. I also wanted to make a reference to Maleficent with Aszil, but I couldn’t figure out where to fit that reference. Maybe I’ll make a one-shot about Aszil and Sarah with a sort of Maleficent and Aurora vibe to it. 
> 
> I couldn’t remember if it was ever stated what kind of music Sarah preferred to listen, so I pretty much chose techno. Or, well, Daft Punk in this case. I also chose this song because it’s my favorite Daft Punk song. Also, the beginning has a bit of buzzing sound that is reminiscent to a cybernetic bee, so I figured it would fit Sarah too. One more thing, Sarah’s last line is actually a direct reference to Kaz’s “Grolls and Gorks” counterpart.


	6. Night Five: Kit

A Legend Chapter Five

*****

Suggested Theme:

Main Theme- Blue Lips by Regina Spektor

*****

            Frozen Fire, _the ocean of flames that chills as it burns_. Kit can recall the card description easily as he navigates through the Location. He hasn’t been here since he took scans of this place for the card game on Earth. It’s also been awhile since Codemaster Crellan was in his Kit form; the last time was when Tom “rescued” him. That was about two years ago. Almost too long since he was human. But at least he isn’t like Codemaster Hotekk who hasn’t truly ever left his Codemaster form to be human. They were all human, but being Codemasters seem to make them forget. Especially Codemaster Hotekk.

The snowy gales whip through the frozen flames, almost “fanning” the chill throughout the Location. The flames cannot burn him, but they could still cause him pain. Especially in this form. Kit weaves through like a pebble in a rip current. He can **_feel_** the flames almost lick him like they became unfrozen but are then suspended again. Ah, he misses the feeling of potential death and going through the flames almost gives him that feeling again.

_“He stumbled into faith and thought,_

_‘God, this is all there is……’_

_The pictures in his mind arose_

_And began….to breathe.”_

And he also misses being caught off-guard. He did not check the Location for any other players because he sort wanted to interact with someone again. Although, he probably wouldn’t be as generous as he was with Tom. After all, Tom is one of those few, **_chosen_** players.

_“And all the gods and all the worlds_

_Began colliding on a backdrop of blue._

_Blue lips,_

_Blue veins….”_

The singing voice is being carried through the gale like the cutting snow. He cannot discern who the player is by his voice. But then again, not many players sing or can even sing. He really needs to speak to the other Codemasters about starting some musical contest if only to promote the card game. Or at least give some young players a chance to shine.

_“He took a step but then felt tired._

_He said, ‘I’ll rest a little while.’_

_But when he tried to walk again,_

_He wasn’t…..a child._

_And all the people hurried fast,_

_Real fast_

_And no one ever smile.”_

The singing reminds him of a young acolyte feasting upon forbidden knowledge and espousing what he knew to an unforgiving crowd. The player sings with tension but slows at points if only to be merciful to himself.

_“Blue lips,_

_Blue veins,_

_Blue, the color of our planet_

_From far, far away._

_Blue lips,_

_Blue veins,_

_Blue, the color of our planet_

_From far, far away.”_

Kit smirks at how appropriate the lyrics are for this Location. Blue is everywhere, and most likely the player’s lips are blue from the cold. He keeps trudging through the frozen flames to find the singing player.

_“He stumbled into faith and thought,_

_‘God, this is all there is?’_

_The pictures in his mind arose_

_And began….to breathe.”_

He has heard about the singing player. He has actually been to the Locations that player inscribed his songs and names. The Locations didn’t change, but acquired more proof to someone else’s existence. It wasn’t hard to deduce that the player wanted to be remembered forever. Kit understands that sentiment quite well; he needs to validate his own humanity after years of being Codemaster Crellan.

_“And no one saw_

_And no one heard._

_They just followed the lead._

_The pictures in his mind awoke_

_And began to breed….”_

He reaches the player but refuses to enter the player’s space or make his presence known. From behind, he can only see the heavy, green coat that the player is wearing with his fur-lined hood over his head. He can see a flurry of mitted hands writing words across a frozen flame. He can also see a stylus that Ulmar created that allowed him to inscribe his mark and name on his inventions. Even if those inventions were made of solid stone. Good to know that the stylus can also work on frozen flames.

_“They started off_

_Beneath an olive tree_

_And they chopped it down_

_To make white picket fences_

_And marching along the railroad tracks._

_They smiled real wide for the camera lenses._

_They made it passed the enemy lines_

_Just to become enslaved in the assembly lines.”_

Kit empathetically winces for the singing player. He has never heard words fly so fast without pause. Technically, Codemaster Hotekk did that, but he was mostly cursing. He was pretty certain that was when Tom cleverly outmaneuvered Codemaster Hotekk. That was a fun match to watch, but the aftermath was less than fantastic.

_“Blue lips,_

_Blue veins,_

_Blue, the color of our planet_

_From far, far away._

_Blue lips,_

_Blue veins,_

_Blue, the color of our planet_

_From far, far away.”_

The song is becoming softer now, almost to the point of nothingness. However, Kit can also blame the crackling howls of the gales of an oncoming storm. The player has always ported out when his song has ended, or at least that is what all the unsubstantiated claims indicate. He gets to see if the rumors are true.

_“Blue…….._

_The most human color._

_Blue………_

_The most human color._

_Blue………_

_The most human color._

_Blue lips,_

_Blue veins,_

_Blue, the color of our planet_

_From far, far away.”_

The player scribbles his last line and pulls out his red Scanner. Kit knows that red is typically the color of UnderWorld players, or players who have recently gotten their Scanners and cannot afford to change the color quite yet. This couldn’t be a new player because new players just can’t navigate their way through treacherous Locations such as Frozen Fire in Glacier Plains. Also, new players wouldn’t know how to rob Ulmar without getting caught. The player ports out in a whirl of code as the gale lets out another blistering howl. He goes up to the flame and reads the message in thick letters:

**_Night Five- Vicious Pegasus_ **

There is no player with that name, even as a codename. This name was most likely a pseudonym for an existing player. A bit melodramatic for his tastes, but at least the player chose something fairly original. Kit takes another scan of the Location and then takes a picture of the frozen flame etched with Vicious Pegasus’s existence. He’ll show the player’s existence to the other Codemasters. Perhaps, it would inspire them to give their other forms a chance to exist again. To be human again.

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Comments- Wow, Kit or Codemaster Crellan was really refreshing to write. It’s fun to write characters being metaphysical. I have no idea if the Codemasters are humans or lose their humanity when they become Codemasters. Maybe the Cothica created Chaotic and chose some people to run the place like an alien abduction. I don’t know. There’s very little on the Codemasters, so I picked the one who had the most information and a real name. Or at least a human form with a name. 
> 
> Ironically, blue is the most noticeable color on Codemaster Crellan. I chose this song because I wanted something……really somber yet thrilling. The lyrics also happened to match up with Codemaster Crellan in this story. No, seriously re-read the lyrics. It would seem like the song could be a potential origin story for Codemaster Crellan.


	7. Night Six: Chaor

A Legend Chapter Six

******

Suggested Theme:

Main Theme- Illusion by VNV Nation

******

            Chaor is a very proud Creature. He has usurped Gothos and prevent his own usurpation on multiple occasions from the foolish Van Bloot. He has fought Aa’une alongside his nemesis to save Perim. He has retaken his throne and UnderWorld City from the treacherous Van Bloot. No ruler has done this much for UnderWorld City since the founder. He has a right to be prideful and drink to his heart’s content tonight. He hasn’t had a drink in his private chambers since retaking the city.

The goblet he is drinking out of is one of his favorites. The goblet is red like dried blood and shaped like a heart with its walls pulled back like a blooming OverWorld flower. Legend states that the goblet was carved from the heart of an UnderWorld Queen when she tried to have her own son killed. The son was clever and found out about her planned filicide ahead of time. He took his dagger and cut out her heart that he later used to make the goblet. Chaor has always liked tales about patricide. And the goblet happens to be a wonderful weapon in its own right.

_“I know it’s hard to tell_

_How mixed up you feel,_

_Hoping what you need_

_Is behind every door._

_Each time you get hurt,_

_I don’t want you to change_

_Cause everyone has hopes._

_You are human after all.”_

Chaor does not shatter the goblet in his hand; it is his favorite after all. The singing is coming from below his floor. It’s coming from the abandon, secret apartment. The secret apartment was used when an UnderWorld King had a mistress (most likely a slave) that he wished to keep secret from his very jealous Queen. The only way to reach the apartment is to push a certain, heart-shaped stone in the wall that reveals a secret stairwell. Chaor hasn’t been down there since he first became the ruler of the UnderWorld and never had any need for the room.

_“The feeling sometimes_

_Wishing you were someone else._

_Feeling as though,_

_You never belong._

_This feeling is not sadness._

_This feeling is not joy._

_I truly understand._

_Please, don’t cry now.”_

If the song has any truth in it, then there is a human in the secret apartment. A foolish human that believed he could sneak around through **_his_** castle. Chaor downs the last of his spicy wine from his goblet and pushes the heart-shaped stone. The granite wall pulls to the side to reveal the secret stairwell. He descends down the stairwell with his goblet in hand; he has never had the chance to kill a human with his favorite goblet until now.

_“Please, don’t go._

_I want you to stay._

_I’m begging you, please,_

_Please don’t leave here._

_I don’t want you to hate_

_For all the hurt that you feel._

_The world is just illusion,_

_Trying to change you.”_

The stairwell’s steps are made of an ancient, white metal that tarnished into black after centuries of being exposed to the elements. In the metal are twinkles in the steps that provide adequate light for Chaor; although, he is very adept in finding his way through darkness. The stairwell spirals like a vacuum filled with stars.

_“Being like you are,_

_Well, this is something else._

_Who would comprehend?_

_But some that do lay claim_

_Divine purpose blesses them._

_That’s not what I believe_

_And it doesn’t matter anyway.”_

The human’s voice has tremors as though he’s bursting with mini-epiphanies and world-weary sighs. Or maybe the human can hear the UnderWorld Lord coming for him. Chaor knows that Kaz has a wonderful penchant for bragging about how strong and frightening he is to the other humans. Perhaps, this human thought he could get a scan by luring Chaor down here. All the human will get is his death wish granted.

_“A part of your soul_

_Ties you to the next world,_

_Or maybe to the last,_

_But I’m still not sure._

_But what I do know_

_Is to us_

_The world is different_

_As we are to the world._

_I guess you would know that.”_

Chaor makes it to the secret apartment. The ill-kept, rusted door has been left wide open. Chaor enters the room with a tight grip on his goblet. The room is cluttered with cobwebs and dust has buried the stone furniture of the living room. There are glowing rubies embedded on the walls to give the room light since the chandeliers have long ago ran out of candles. The human’s voice is coming from the bedroom.

_“Please, don’t go._

_I want you to stay._

_I’m begging you, please,_

_Please don’t leave here._

_I don’t want you to hate_

_For all the hurt that you feel._

_The world is just illusion,_

_Trying to change you.”_

The bedroom is filled with glowing rubies, bathing the room in a passionate, bloody red light. The canopy bed’s curtains have been eaten away by time to reveal the skeletal, broken ribs of a once gilded bed. The ancient mirror of gold is nothing more than grime smeared on a foggy surface. This room would be appropriate to house a corpse now.

_“Please, don’t go._

_I want you to stay._

_I’m begging you, please,_

_Oh, please don’t leave here._

_I don’t want you to change_

_For all the hurt that you feel._

_This world is just illusion,_

_Always trying to change you.”_

The human is carving through the rust-covered walls with one of Ulmar’s styluses. He can see that the human is wearing a dark “jacket” over a fungus-green sweater with OverWorld blue pants and black boots. The human’s hair is the exact shade of Kaz’s even with his golden “highlights”, but Kaz’s hair is worn up and shows off his misshapen ears. This human’s hair is down and hiding his ears. This human could be Kaz who disguised himself for some reason.

_“Please, don’t go._

_I want you to stay._

_I’m begging you, please,_

_Please don’t leave here._

_I don’t want you to hate_

_For all the hurt that you feel._

_The world is just illusion,_

_Trying to change you.”_

But Kaz can’t sing. His voice is too haphazardly meek to be able to project himself like this. This human’s voice is free from ego and self-consciousness that plagues Kaz. He needs to see the human’s face. For all he know, this human was Kaz probably drunk off some human concoction, or maybe under a trance.

_“Please, don’t go._

_I want you to stay._

_I’m begging you, please,_

_Oh, please don’t leave here._

_I don’t want you to change_

_For all the hurt that you feel._

_This world is just illusion,_

_Always trying to change you.”_

When Chaor grasps the human’s boney shoulders, he catches a whiff of Thanatos blossoms. Thanatos blossoms are UnderWorld flowers that only appear around burial places and have long been associated with death. Thanatos blossoms have twisted, blacken stems that wrap around a corpse’s body; the petals are maroon in color and shaped like butterfly wings. The flower smells like smelted copper and sweet brimstone. In other words, the human smells like a funeral.

The human writes one last thing before Chaor decides to turn him over to face him. The human’s face is oddly shaped almost like one side has more flesh than the other. His eyes are brown just like Kaz’s, but they appear bigger than Kaz’s and more self-assured. His mouth is thin and expressionless. His eyebrows are strangely arched like Kaz’s, but, like the mouth, doesn’t give a hint to his emotions. This human is as apathetic as a corpse.

The human raises his left hand, after letting Ulmar’s stylus hit the floor, and touches Chaor’s neck. The human was probably trying to touch his cheek but couldn’t because of his short height. The human’s hand is warm, too warm to be the hand of a corpse. Kaz would never be this bold; he flinches too easily at being touched and touching others. Who is this human that looks so much like Kazzy?

Then, the human vanishes in a swirl of blue code. He has ported out. Chaor smashes his favorite goblet into the wall that the human was preoccupied with. He destroys some of the human’s words, lyrics of his song, but his last words are intact in thick letters:

**_Night Six- Vicious Pegasus_ **

When he sees Kaz again, Chaor will ask him about this human. He pulls out his goblet from the wall and notices a crack through the goblet. He is reminded of the human’s face and thinks of Thanatos blossoms for the rest of the night.

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Comments- I have always imagined Chaor to be the type to like gory tales of patricide. It could be because he was abandon, or betrayed by his own parents, or because he didn’t have any. Or it’s something else entirely. I don’t know. I still haven’t worked out the kinks of his past. Also, Chaor doesn’t seem the type to have many lovers, unlike his ancestor Kiru who I always imagined to be sexually promiscuous, because that would require trust. Trust that they won’t try to poison him or kill him while having sex. Chaor’s general policy is to not trust anyone, so he doesn’t have many lovers, which is why he never bothered to refurbish the secret apartment. He’s the type to stew over some battle plan while drinking some hard wine. 
> 
> Anyways, back to the story, I’ve never seen Kaz touch Chaor. I’ve seen Chaor touching Kaz, but Kaz is usually shaking in his hiking boots. I don’t think Kaz is the touchy-feely kind, especially when it comes to nine-foot gargoyles that can burn you alive if you so much annoy him. However, Vicious isn’t like Kaz. He is Kaz’s antithesis in a sense. He’ll touch Chaor without flinching, almost declaring that he acknowledges Chaor for being something more than the fierce UnderWorld Lord. The song, to me, is Vicious voices his feelings for Chaor. You can take it as platonic or romantic because I feel like the song could go either way. I ship Kaz and Chaor, although I prefer it when Kaz is like a decade older and has some experience in life, and it’s because of the fanfics about it that I got into the show. However, this night could be platonic or romantic for the purposes of this story. Or both.


	8. Night Seven: Tom

A Legend Chapter Seven

*******

Suggested Theme:

Main Theme- “The Devil’s Tears” by Angus & Julia Stone

*******

            Exlo Lighthouse is by far one of the rarest scans to get. Tom has no idea which unfortunate player that Klay tortured to get the scan, but he would like to meet that player and show him or her this scan. To reassure the player that someone who isn’t oily like Klay can get the scan too. However, Tom is certain that the unfortunate player had to spend months of planning and rigorous training to get to the Location. While Tom got to the Location by dumb luck.

When Tom was helping Bodal take inventory around lunch, he heard that Antidaeon was going to test his upgraded submarine by braving the treacherous waters near Exlo Lighthouse. He immediately took his lunch break and tracked down Antidaeon to get a ride. At worse, they wouldn’t make it to the Location, but at least Tom would have the consolation of acquiring a new scan of _“The Nemesis”_. And by the divine intervention of the Cothica, Tom snagged two rare scans in one day.

Now, he’s going to get to the top of the ancient lighthouse. He has his Scanner out, recording his time inside the lighthouse. He wants to show Kaz, Sarah, and Peyton that he actually did get the scan by going to the Location and not through some costly trade. Also, it would be like a map for him to look back on before a match.

Exlo Lighthouse is rumored to have been built by the same giants that built Gigantemtopolis. Tom believes the rumor is definitely true considering how big the steps to the spiral staircase are and how many damn steps it will take him to get to the top. Thank goodness, he had enough foresight to bring a bag filled with bottled water and snacks.

It takes him nearly three hours to get about ten giant steps away from the top. He has taken plenty of breaks in between so he doesn’t pass out and fall by the time he reached top. Falling in this Location would be a horrible way to go. He’s weary and is sick of seeing nothing but stone and raging storms for these past three hours. He knows there’s a huge fire at the top, so he’ll get to see something other than dreary stones and crackling lightning.

_“He said,_

_‘I am the devil, boy,_

_Come with me_

_And we’ll make many storms.’”_

Tom is glad that he has his Scanner out. He’ll be the second person to get a recording of Vicious Pegasus singing! Vicious Pegasus has become infamous amongst Chaotic players because of his carvings in certain Locations. So far only nights five and six have yet to be found, but all the other nights have been located. Lots of players have gone to those Locations in order to get another scan of the Location with his carvings. The carvings don’t do anything for the Location, but it’s like having a piece of history to brag about to your friends.

_“He offered me the universe._

_But inside my heart,_

_There’s a picture of a…_

_Girl.”_

Tom has always been skeptical about the player’s motives for pretty much defacing Locations, but he’s not about to let this chance go. He has heard this player sing from the video that Elliot shared with his clients who then shared it with practically everyone else in Chaotic. He likes his singing; he likes how Vicious lets his emotions flow freely. Also, it helps that Tom has always liked The Rolling Stones.

_“Some call love a curse,_

_Some call love a thief,_

_But she’s my…_

_Home.”_

However, Vicious sounds so much unlike his bellicose and passionate performance from the first night. He sounds……tired. _Climbing all these steps would make even the giants tired_ , Tom reckons. But there’s something about Vicious’s voice that may suggest that physical exhaustion isn’t purely to blame.

_“And she’s as much a part_

_For this broken heart,_

_But see broken bones_

_Always seem to mend.”_

This song seems to be about a break-up. Maybe Vicious regrets breaking up with a girl and wants her back…..but that seems too simplistic. It’s a pretty song, not overwrought with cheesiness and self-loathing. But he sounds sad……really sad.

_“I’ll taste the devil’s tears._

_Drink from his soul,_

_But I’ll never give up…_

_You.”_

Tom can see the roaring fire that acts as the literal light for the lighthouse. He’s only three steps from the top. And maybe a few more from seeing Vicious Pegasus in action. No one has seen the guy’s face. Considering his luck today, Tom believes he’ll see Vicious’s face tonight.

_“I’ll taste the devil’s tears._

_Drink from his soul,_

_But I’ll never give up…_

_You.”_

He reaches the top and sees a human shadow moving on the floor. Vicious is on the other side, probably scribbling the lyrics of his song. Tom knows that Vicious will port out as soon as his song is over, so he doesn’t hope for the guy to even acknowledge him. However, Tom wants to see the guy’s face; it’s a mystery that he feels can be solved tonight.

“ _He said,_

_‘I am the devil, boy,_

_Come with me_

_And we’ll break many laws.’”_

He hurries to the other side. He sees Vicious Pegasus kneeling on the floor and carving with something that looks like a Kindle stylus. Vicious Pegasus is wearing the same outfit he wore on his first night. However, Tom can now smell something faint. Something that smells like some funky flower in the UnderWorld, but it doesn’t make his eyes water.

_“He offered me eternal life._

_But inside my heart,_

_There’s a picture of a…_

_Girl.”_

Tom can’t get a good look of his face because Vicious’s hair is acting like an invisibility cloak. His Scanner is still recording and he decides to zoom to see if he could at least catch a feature of the guy’s face. The zoom in allows him to see the thin, crack, bleeding lips of Vicious and his upturned nose. _The guy should invest in some good lip balm_ , Tom jokes inwardly. He has a feeling that Vicious likes to bite his own lips. Was he nervous about something?

_“Some call love a word,_

_Some call love a thief,_

_But she’s my…_

_Home.”_

It’s eerie, and almost perverse, to Tom how he is just recording some guy singing and writing like he was a voyeur. It must be intimate for the guy to just sing and write his song on some Location. Who sings in a Location? Maybe some Creatures for a concert, but players don’t do that. Players are too busy getting scans, hanging out with Creatures, and trying not to get killed. Even Eddie X wouldn’t go to herculean lengths to sing in this Location!

_“And she’s as much a part_

_For this broken heart,_

_But see broken bones_

_Always seem to mend.”_

This can’t be just a publicity stunt like Tom used to believe. Vicious can’t be trying to get people to buy his album. There was nothing on this guy on Earth. Not one trace. The only traces of him are in Elliot’s video of him and his carvings. He’s like an anonymous author to a classic novel; no one will ever know anything about him, but they’ll still talk about his work for years to come.

_“I’ll taste the devil’s tears._

_Drink from his soul,_

_But I’ll never give up…_

_You.”_

Oh. Vicious just did all this to be remembered forever. He couldn’t be a conqueror, or a king, or a knight, or even a dictator on Earth. But he could leave his mark on Perim. There will always be players who would spread his legend like they do about the Codemasters. He’ll be remembered as though he did something historical. As a legend.

_“I’ll taste the devil’s tears._

_Drink from his soul,_

_But I’ll never give up…_

_You.”_

Vicious stands up and drops his stylus. He then takes off his jacket. Tom is dumbfounded because Vicious never did this on the previous nights. He just left and never came back. Vicious turns and flings his jacket into Tom’s face. Tom can’t see for a fifteen seconds but doesn’t stop recording.

**_CRASH!_ **

Tom pulls the jacket off him to see a body-shaped hole in the glass. Horrified, Tom goes outside and gets drenched in the storm. He looks over the ledge to see if maybe Vicious grabbed on a vine or something. He sees nothing but a battering of tumultuous waves against the lighthouse. He goes back inside and plays back the footage on his Scanner.

Briefly, he sees the face of Vicious Pegasus. He has an almost heart-shaped face and angular eyebrows. He has brown eyes that remind him of Kaz, but they were so hollow. Like nothing was there anymore. Like he was all used up. And then he just pulls off his jacket, throws it onto Tom, runs into the glass, and leaps over the ledge. He kills himself.

Tom slumps down to the floor. He has never seen a player kill himself before. He has actually never seen anyone die. Even Tangath Toborn can be considered arguably alive in the Spiritlands, whatever the fuck that is. He doesn’t cry. Not immediately at least. He just sits there as though he were the one that died. He listlessly looks at the last words that were written in thick letters:

**_Final Night- Vicious Pegasus_ **

Finally, he cries.

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Comments- I had an agonizing time trying to pick out what song Vicious would sing as his swan song. At first, I was going to use “Komm Susser Tod” from End of Evangelion, but it just didn’t fit the feel for what I was going and it would give away the ending. Then, I was going to use “Silence” by Lucia, but I decided to use it for something else. I also thought about using “Into My Arms” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, but I felt like I would have to add some levity to the ending and I just didn’t want to. So I basically spent about an hour scrolling through YouTube for something until I found this song. It just sounds so perfect for Vicious; it just drew me in lyrically with: “I’ll taste the devil’s tears. / Drink from his soul,” and I just had to use the song. 
> 
> Also, Antidaeon and his ship first show up in season one, episode thirty called, “The Curse of Kor-bek”. I decided to use Exlo Lighthouse because I wanted Vicious to “kill himself” by jumping off something high. I don’t think there’s even a card of this; it’s that rare! Exlo Lighthouse first appears in show in season three, episode sixty-nine called, “Worlds Apart” it also happened to be the same episode in which Jycella, Nivenna, and Aivenna are first introduced and never shown again. For those who are going to point out how melodramatic Tom is being, I’m going to point out now that he witnessed someone commit suicide before his eyes. He had no idea that Vicious was going to jump to his “death”, so he couldn’t do anything about it even though he feels like he should’ve. I think that would horrify anyone, especially with someone as sensitive as Tom. I may have also borrowed Tom’s sensitivity from his “Grolls and Gorks” counterpart.


	9. Lament

Lament

*

Suggested Theme:

Main Theme- Silence by Lucia

*

            Two hundred solons later, Exlo Lighthouse is still withstanding the persistent storms as it always has. The mammoth lighthouse is the lonely sentinel for the long-dead giants. The fire still burns at the top as it always has. Nothing has changed in the last hundred years. There’s still a human-shaped hole in the glass at the top. There is still lyrics of a long-dead player inscribed on the ancient stones. His jacket is still there too, right beside his song.

However, accompanying his last song, is an unsung lament. It is a song perhaps long-forgotten by humans and never known to Creatures, but it will always remember the fallen one.

_“Stop me._

_Say you wanna stop me,_

_Say you wanna stop me now._

_But I’m leaving._

_Yes, I’m gonna leave you._

_Yes, I’m gonna leave your life._

_If it’s just sorry,_

_I don’t want your sorry,_

_I don’t want your sorry now._

_Is too late, you know,_

_Is too late, you know,_

_Wasted time._

_Say,_

_Do you wanna play for love?_

_Do you wanna play for love?_

_Say,_

_Do you wanna play for love?_

_Do you wanna play for love?_

_Your silence,_

_Your silence,_

_Your silence….ah!_

_Silence,_

_Your silence,_

_Your silence._

_Wake me._

_Say you wanna wake me,_

_Say you wanna wake my life._

_But I know you._

_Yes, I wanna know you,_

_Yes, I wanna know your life._

_If it’s just teasing,_

_I will be your teaser,_

_I will be your teaser now._

_Is too late, you know,_

_Is too late, you know,_

_Wasted time._

_Say,_

_Do you wanna play for love?_

_Do you wanna play for love?_

_Say,_

_Do you wanna play for love?_

_Do you wanna play for love?_

_Your silence,_

_Your silence,_

_Your silence…ah!_

_Silence,_

_Your silence,_

_Your silence._

_Say, you wanna know me,_

_You wanna know me_

_And try to let it out._

_Say, you wanna know me,_

_You wanna know me_

_And try to let it out._

_Say, you wanna know me,_

_You wanna know me_

_And try to let it out._

_Say, you wanna know me,_

_You wanna know me_

_And try to let it out._

_And try to let it out…_

_And try to let it out…”_

**_Vicious Pegasus:_ **

**_He lived for seven nights._ **

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Comments- You know I had an entirely different idea for this epilogue. I was going to write about Tom holding a funeral for Vicious and all these players and Skithia would come to the funeral. It would be all emotional and Kaz would just be there, watching everyone talk about his alter ego like he was a good friend or some bullshit. Then, it would end with Kaz porting to Chaor’s castle and telling Chaor the news, but Chaor would catch a whiff of Kaz and realize that Vicious is actually Kaz. 
> 
> I decided not to write any of that because I re-watched the final episode of Chaotic. Tangath Toborn’s memorial service brought a lot of people from the Tribes and humans together. Most of the important leaders were there, and they were honoring him for saving Perim not once but twice. Vicious did none of that. Vicious never saved anyone. All he did was sing and carved his songs onto selected Locations. So I highly doubt he would receive that much fanfare as Tangath did. I figured this is what Vicious at least deserved for what he did; he gets a song carved by Tom and a little memo as his tombstone. 
> 
> The song is basically what Tom believes how Vicious’s cry for help would sound like. However, the last stanza is like Tom’s response. In his mind, maybe if Vicious talked to someone or someone actually talked with him, then maybe Vicious wouldn’t have ended his short life. But then again, short-lived, mysterious figures tend to outlive actual people who’ve led long lives. Vicious’s legend will be told and changed countless times over the years; to the point where there’s only a small grain of truth like in a fairytale. Kaz has achieved his goal of being remembered, even if it’s just his alter ego that will be remembered.

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Comments- Before anyone starts pointing out how ridiculous Kaz’s name for his alter ego is, I would like to point out that Kaz is voiced by Darren Dunstan. I wanted to reference Dunstan’s other roles, so I decided to combine General Vicious from “Tai Chi Chasers” and Maximillion Pegasus from “Yu-Gi-Oh!” to form Vicious Pegasus. Granted, it was the best name I could form from his list of performances in the Wikipedia page, but I think the name has a nice ring to it. Honestly, the name sounds like something a deluded, failed rocker would have, and considering Kaz’s disguise, it seems pretty fitting for him. 
> 
> Also, if you have read any of my recent one-shots for Kaz, then you might’ve known that Kaz could sing. In the show, he doesn’t and I’m not certain if the voice actor can either. However, I like to believe that Kaz can sing; a talent that none of his friends possess or even know about. I don’t know why but I like to believe that Kaz can sing while building a prototype transdimensional wormhole generator. I’m not claiming that he’s the best in the world, but his singing voice would surprise anyone who heard him. Now, combine with his new identity, he could possibly “enchant” those around him with his mythical look and dark singing.


End file.
